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RSPCA prosecution powers: charities respond
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The contents of the Efra Committee's report will become available on 14 November.
Media reports claim MPs will call for RSPCA to step back

The UK's leading animal welfare charities have spoken out against diminishing the RSPCA's power to prosecute animal cruelty offences.

An article published in the Sunday Times at the weekend (13 November) claimed a cross-party committee of MPs are expected to call for the RSPCA to stop bringing private prosecutions, and instead hand the evidence it gathers over to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

According to the paper, the recommendation will be made in a report due to be released by the environment, food and rural affairs committee (EfraCom) on Wednesday (16 November).

Responding to the claims, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the Blue Cross, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust and PDSA said:

'As the UK’s leading animal welfare organisations, we believe that the removal of the RSPCA’s ability to prosecute animal cruelty offences would be hugely detrimental to the welfare of the thousands of animals that are victims of cruelty in England and Wales every year.
 
'We would strongly question whether any other body currently exists that would have the resources to provide a service similar to the RSPCA’s considerable expertise, experience and credibility in this area. We would further fear that without the RSPCA carrying out this vital work, many cases of unacceptable animal abuse would go unprosecuted.
 
'Animal welfare organisations see terrible examples of animal cruelty on a depressingly frequent basis and, as a result, we place great value on the work that the RSPCA undertakes to secure prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act. We would reject any move to reduce the charity’s powers to bring the perpetrators of this cruelty to justice.'
 
The contents of the Efra Committee's report will become available on 16 November.

 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."